Christmas Time

Our Christmas was very nice. PawPaw and GiGi came to visit with us. PawPaw stayed with us. Cullen enjoyed every minute of it, the lights, Santa, and presents. He started getting sick on Christmas Eve, and Brent picked it up on Christmas Day.

Brent has been in the bed since Tuesday afternoon with the flu. Cullen's didn't last that long. We have been taking care of Dr. Daddy this week. Maybe Dr. Feelgood from St. Louis can pay us a visit...

Funny:
I started taking down the decorations, and Cullen asked me why? I explained to him that Christmas is over, and we put all the things away until next year. Santa will come again then, also.

Cullen asked: Do you put my presents away, too?

Christmas Eve

Santa just left our house. Cullen was sure he would stop here first, so Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Illinois, New Mexico, etc. get to sleep quick. Santa is on his way!

By the way, if it were up to Cullen everyone would have gotten a dinosaur for Christmas this year.

Merry Christmas!

THE NEW JOB

CONGRATULATIONS!

Brent is now a professor in the Health and Kinesiology Department at Sam Houston State University! He went in and showed them what he had to offer, and they loved him. Brent is tenure track and ready to start after Christmas.

He has waitied a long time for this, and it is here. Cullen and I are very proud of all of his hard work!

We Love You ,

Daddy a.k.a. Brent

Songs of the Season

Cullen loves Christmas songs. Deck the Halls seems to be his favorite. He calls it the La La Song, and we listen to it over and over in the truck. Of course, he is just learning all of these songs and has his own version to quite a few of them. Here are some of them:

Up On A Housetop
Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t no! Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t no! Up on the housetop lank, lank, lank Down to the chimney with Old Saint Gank

Joy To The World
Jolly to the world. The Lord has come. Let her resee the hing.

Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman has a jolly happy hole with a corn cob hype and a belly button nose and two mys made out of hole.

He does good with Rudolph and Jingle Bells. If any new versions come up, I'll be sure to let everyone know. After reading cullen's version, the priginals may not come to you. Click this for the originals.

This Morning

Cullen woke up at 5:15 a.m. this morning. I was getting dressed, and he was watching T.V. I finished getting dressed and walked into the living room.

"Cullen, what is going on?"

"I am sitting on the couch, watching Maisy, and picking boogers from my nose."

"Cullen, you should use a tissue for that."

"No thank you, I have my finger."

Thankful...

Brent came up with a terrific idea for us to do. We each made a list of things that we are thankful for. When we completed them, we read them to each other. We all three sat at the table. Brent and I began reading and discussing our lists. Cullen said, "I want to talk." We asked him what he was thankful for, and this is the list he came up with:

God
mama
daddy
cars
rocks
candy
cheerios
church
cereal
fruit bars
friends
cookies
Greeny (a lizard that lives outside)
George (his stuffed lizard)
Wally (his Betta)

Don't be alarmed if you didn't make the list. I believe that he was hungry while he was discussing his.

Even though we are very thankful for our blessings and family year round,we have a family tradition now at Thanksgiving.

It's December

Hello, we are doing much better. Our last few weeks have been very eventful and hectic.

This is a run down of what has been happening:
*Beginning of November, Cullen had bronchitis. We were home for a few days.
I caught it, and did not go to the doctor. It turned into walking pneumonia. Off to the doctor I go.
*Meme came to visit. This was avery good thing. We were all happy to see her. Cullen loved every minute of her visit.

*While all this is going on, Brent is still trying get an appointment with the correct doctor concerning his broken eye socket.

*Got a call from Alabama on the 13th. My dad had a mild heart attack over the weekend and is having a heart cath on the 15th. On the 15th he went in for the heart cath. They decided to put stints in. One broke off in his heart, and he had another heart attack. They took him to surgery. He coded twice. By the end of this day, he had two open heart surgeries and coded 3 times. We were still in Texas at this time. He continued to go downhill so we loaded up and went to Mobile on the 17th. They were finally able to take him off the vent on th 19th, and he got out of ICU on the 20th. Things were beginning to look better. I relapsed with the pneumonia and was unable to visit him anymore. Brent took Cullen to see him on Monday afternoon and Tuesday. We traveled home on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving due to me being sick.

Thanksgiving Day: Brent cooked us Crawfish Fettucine. I'm sure that is traditional Thanksgiving Dinner somewhere. It is very good. We made lists of the things we are thankful for. I will post cullen's soon. My dad went back to surgery for a blood clot. It was successful.

The rest of our holiday was very quite including my B-day. We had lunch at Pappaduex's and watched the Texas A & M game.

We went back to work on the 27th, and my dad was able to go home. Cullen got sick again on the 28th with throat problems and a 104.4 fever. Home again for a few days.

Brent has completed the decorations on the outside of the house. It looks really good. Cullen picked out a candy cane tree, candy canes, and deer. Pictures to come...

I believe this brings us to the present. We had a very restful weekend. I went grocery shopping alone something that is happening more often. Cullen likes staying at home instead of going to the grocery store. Like father like son.

I would like to thank everyone for their prayers during my dad's surgery and continued recovery.

Cat in the Hat

Trying to grab the tail!
Not very excited...
What a face?

It's Official

Cullen and Daddy have a new club. They are "Bandaid Bubbies." I am not a member. They remind me everyday.

Cullen says,"Mama you are not a girl."
I ask,"What am I?"
Cullen answers, "A Mama!"

That explains that...

FREAK ACCIDENT

Let me set the stage for you...

It was a normal evening at the Estes household. We had just finished dinner and watched a little bit of "Finding Nemo". Now it was bathtime. I gathered all of Cullen's necessary items, and we headed for the "big" bathroom (code for mommy and daddy's). Well, Brent and Aggie come in to see how things were going. Bath water is not even on yet. Aggie tries to get in the bed, and Brent wants her off. He tries to get her out of the room. Cullen and I are in the bathroom, but listening to the commotion. I guess Nomar was in the front of house listening, also. Nomar is a special dog, and his interpretation was "Oh boy, play time!" All 100 pounds of him comes running full force into the bedroom where Brent is half sitting/half lieing and trying to remove Aggie from the bed. He then jumps for the bed as Brent turns around to catch Nomar's head directly in the face. Then there was a scream. Cullen did not leave the bathroom. I went flying in the bedroom to find Brent on the floor and blood pouring from his face. All I got was Nomar.

He got it cleaned up but couldn't move his right eye. His nose kept bleeding on and off. The pain was making him sick. He laid down and took ibu's to try to help the pain. We decided that since he felt like his eye was going to fall out and that his face, nose and teeth were in pain, that we should go to the emergency room.

Emergency room visit:

Always enjoyable especially with a two year old. You know that they didn't believe the old story of the dog head butting Brent. You get those looks. Anyway, hours later he is off for a CAT Scan. He returns and hours later the results are back. It is broken. The force was so hard that it went the through the large front bone in his face and broke one of the eye socket bones. Yes, painful. He will have to visit a face doctor in a few weeks to make sure it is healing correctly. Right now pain killers. Lots and lots of pain killers...

Brent needs lots and lots of love.

Nomar needs lots and lots of prayers of protection...

BITING

I picked Cullen up from daycare yesterday only to find four incident reports. Yes, they right wrongs done during the day. Two were for crimes committed against Cullen, and the other two were crimes Cullen committed.

1st incident: 8:20 a.m. Cullen is playing with Morgan, and Morgan bites him on the arm.

2nd incident: 10:45 a.m. Cullen is playing with Morgan in the gym, and Morgan bites his arm.

3rd incident: 10:46 a.m. Cullen wants to stand on a box Tyler is standing on. Tyler will not get off, so Cullen bites his arm.

4th incident: 4:45 p.m. Cullen is playing basketball with Tyler. Tyler takes it away from Cullen. As Cullen was trying to retreive the taken item, he scratches Tyler on the cheek.

Cullen has been bit 6 times by the same child. Maybe, he should play with someone else. Now Cullen is biting, again. We went through this at the last daycare. He was bit a number times then started biting. Now, we are going through the same thing, again. What to do?

Halloween Hoopla...

Cullen woke up Halloween morning at 4:15 a.m. So, this might tell you what type of morning we were going to have. I finished his costume and got it ready for him to put on. He refused. I mean he would not have any part of it no matter what I said. He wanted to wear his blue pants in the parade. I put it in his backpack just in case he changed his mind while he was at school. Of course, he did. He wore it to the Storybook Parade. Remember, I wrote earlier that no superheros or devilish creatures were allowed. Well, some showed up to crash the Storybook Parade. Maybe, I shouldn't be such a rule follower because Cullen's partner in crime showed up as Superman. I hope he will not be scarred for life because at age two he was forced to wear a homemade Cat in the Hat costume on Halloween. Anyway, his school day activities turned out very nice. He was excited about all of the candy.

That evening I wanted Cullen to dress up so I could take pictures and then go to a few houses. Again, he was refusing. He did not want the tail or the bow. His Daddy talked him in to putting the costume on by telling him he could chase the cats in the neighborhood. If anyone could pull off a homemade Cat in the Hat costume it would be Cullen. He looked most adorable. Once he got outside ringing doorbells and saying,"Trick or Treek", it was all over. After each house, he would say,"Just one more house, please!" It ended up being fun. Cullen is all about the candy part of Halloween. (pictures to come)

Halloween Costumes

Well, we thought we had Halloween taken care of. About two weeks ago, Cullen decided he wanted to be Batman for Halloween. We bought it and that was that. Last Thursday, a note from his school said they were having a "Storybook Halloween Parade" for Halloween. No Super Hero costumes or devilish creatures. This is great, but an advance notice would have helped. By this time every costume in our area is gone, and I am left to improvise. So, we decided to be Cat in the Hat. Easy enough?

After, shopping all evening Sunday after church with no luck. Cullen and I headed out early this morning for a Wal-mart across town. Again, no luck. At lunch today I left for Target and any other place that I might could find something. You can't imagine how hard it is to find a black pair of pants and a black long sleeved shirt this time of year. I'll tell you it is very hard. Anyway I did come back to school with bits and pieces of a Cat in the Hat costume that I hopefully can put together this evening. Wish me luck... I'll post picture of Cullen in the finished prduct.

Nanny Lissa, I sure could use your help.

BIG BOY!

Cullen is officially a Big Boy!

He wore big boy underwear to school for the first time yesterday. He had an accident free day! Cullen has been doing great at home, but school has been a different story! This is a milestone...

No more pullups?!?

Fuzzy

Last night Cullen and I are in bed snuggled together reading books. It is time to turn the lights off, say prayers, and go to bed. After the first two things are completed, it is time to for us to snuggle in bed for sleepy time. Everything is quiet and Cullen is getting the wiggles out to become settled. I hear in a soft, angelic voice, "Mama, why do you have fuzzies on your legs?"

I am telling on myself...

I Know...

It has been some time since I have blogged. Between sickness and studying for tests, I have not found the time. Those are pretty lame excuses but the truth.

Cullen is growing like a weed and becoming more stubborn as everyday passes. I wonder who he gets this trait from. Our family is in the midst of a power struggle. Who is in charge the two year old, Aggie, or the adults? Cullen would like for it to be him but is learning the hard way that it is not. Aggie still thinks that she is in charge and sometimes I wonder.

He is in the official running for the two year old that has the largest dinosaur collection. Every store we go in he asks if they have dinosaurs. He also tells me that I should be careful because the dinosaurs could eat him and his father. He is so much fun and so active.

When Will It End?

How much more needs to happen before more protection is given in schools? Today at my school a gun was taken from a child. He brought it to school yesterday and today in his backpack. It was a pistol BB gun. A gun... He thought it was cool. The only reason he was caught was because he let someone see it on the bus. That child stuck the barrel in a girls face and scared her. I have yet to find out the punishment for the two boys, but I think a point needs to be made. That is how easy it is to get a gun into school. BB or not...
This happens in the middle of the deadliest week in schools across America. Schools should be a safe haven for children. Now some children are scared to attend school. I teach and sometimes do not feel safe. What is going to happen?

My prayers go out to the families involved and/or affected by the recent tragedies...

Saturday Morning

Most children on Saturday morning enjoy watching their favorite cartoons. As I type Cullen is watching a documentary on the origin of dinosaurs. He also asked that we tape it so he could watch it again. It is a hour and half long, and he is sitting still on the couch with his dinosaurs. Every now and again he calls "Mama" just to see if I am still in the house. I am not sure what to think of a two year old that is interested in a documentary on dinosaurs. Yes, he likes dinosaurs and movies about them, but this is talking, bones, fossils, etc. Maybe, he will be a paleontologist or this could be a phase. He is only two...

We Call Them...

"Cullen, look at the white bird in the water," says mom.

"Yes mom, we call them ducks."

Cute

A lawnmower is very loud outside. Cullen and Aggie are watching Sharktale. I hear Aggie growl then bark and Cullen says, "Aggie, don't you worry. It is just a lawnmower getting the grass. We are safe. Lawnmowers aren't scarey. You're O.K. girl. Shhh, watch Sharktale."

Strange Neighbor...Moves

Yes, it is official. Strange neighbor has moved. Brent helped him get his dog pen over the gate. It was the last to go.
I guess we won't be finding random articles of clothing in the lawn on Saturday and Sunday mornings anymore. I'm not sure what was going on, but it didn't have a lot to do with clothes being on. I can also go jogging and get dressed without the fear of being watched. Cullen can play in the yard without being watched. It is a good day!

Hide-N-Seek

Let me set the scene for you. Brent and Cullen are hiding from me, Aggie, and Nomar. Yes, our dogs play hide-n-seek. Hiding is not there strong point in this game, so most of the time they seek.
Back to the story. After, I find them then I hide from the crew and so on. We are playing in the house and there are not a lot of places to hide. This is O.K. with Cullen because he likes to hide in the same spot over and over. Well, I hide in the hall closet at one point, and Cullen liked that spot, so when the game was over he decided to hide there while we stood in the hall. The last time Cullen went in the closet Brent went into the dark bathroom beside the closet, and I disappeared into the foyer. Of course, when Cullen came out and noone was there he took off. As he heads into the foyer Brent jumps out of the bathroom and yells, "Booo." Cullen stops dead in his tracks, turns and says, "I need to change my pull up."

Sorry

An apology goes out to the people who do read about our adventurous, little life. I have been a slacker.

Cullen is doing great. He is getting big and more active. Believe it or not...
Brent is still professing as a professor and is doing a terrific job. I am chasing children around school. HA!

We went to rent movies last weekend, and we let Cullen pick out his first one. It took him a few minutes to decide, but it was not that bad. We are still in possession of the video, and we have watched it everyday at least once.

He had this to say about returning the DVD:
Brent: "Cullen, you know we have to take the dinosaur movie back to the store. It is only a rental. we did not buy it."
Cullen: "No dad, it is not a dental. We have it."

Another first for Cullen this weekend was his trip to the movie theater. We had been talking about but had been waiting. Well, this weekend we went to see Barnyard. Cullen loved it. He was so good during the entire movie. He sat in his own seat, ate candy, and laughed. He is ready to go see another movie on the big screen. He asks all the time to go to the movies. It was a cute movie.

He is Two

I know two year olds have strong wills, but Cullen's is strong.

He has officially boycotted bathes.
Refuses to wear what I get out for him.
Long pants are for church only.
Certain toys have certain areas. He will let others(mom and dad) play but with only the toys he gives you.
He must have sauce to dip his food in. Sauce is what ever he can use to dip. Hence, his new nickname "Sauce King".
Bedtime books must have his o.K. before being read.
Daddy is the only one who can make up stories to tell at bedtime.
He controls the garage door opening and closing.
Kisses get wiped off. You get them only when he is in the giving mood.

There is so much. He is his own Little Man. He makes our house so interesting. It is exciting and scarey(ha ha) to see what he will do or say next.

We Are Here

We are still here. School and daycare have started. We are all trying to get adjusted to the new environments and busy schedules.

Cullen began daycare, and we all dislike it. He will begin the daycare we have been waiting on Sept. 1. I hope it arrives soon, or I may get fired. Students have been back officially for 5 days, and I have been late 3 of those days. I cannot leave my screaming, two year old in the middle of the daycare floor. He screams, "Don't leave me in this place. I'll be quite at your school. Take Me, please." I knew that there would be some issues after being home all summer, but it doesn't help that the people at this daycare seem to care less. It came highly recommended. I guess what I consider good care and what they consider good care two different things. Maybe, they are greatful their child survived daycare with all of their limbs still attached. I want a little more.

Anyway, daycare will be the death of us...(Brent and I)

It Has Begun...

I am back at school doing the staff development thing. Students will begin rolling in Wednesday.

Cullen and Brent have had a great time together. All is well, and they do not need me as much as I had hoped.

MiMi has been cleaning closets in her efforts to get ready to move and came across a small tent. She gave it to Cullen today. He carried around all day in its sack. He carried it to Krogert (Kroger), to Sonic, and outside. Finally, this evening it was put together and now there is a tent in our house! Cullen had fun playing in it with MiMi and Aunt Toni. Now, we must keep the dogs from destroying it!

Final note:
I bought Cullen and I a cherry limeade at Sonic to share. Cullen did not like the idea, but it was to late. I had already ordered, and we are sharing.

I get it take a sip and give it to Cullen in the backseat. We start down the road.
"Cullen, may I have another sip?"
"Sure, Mom."
I sip and return. We continue toward home. Moments later.
"Cullen, may I have a drink?"
"You had two drinks and your tummy full now. You don't need any."

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to share...

Last Day

This was my last day as a free woman. It was very relaxing and nice. We ate a late lunch and went walking around Market square. It is a very nice little area. Cullen got a new book and some Jelly Bellies. I got a sofa table, picture, and two lamps for the foyer. Everything looks great except for the picture. I was not sold on it, so back it goes. It is just one of those things where I had to see it at home. I got to choose all the things since it was my last day of summer. I will miss being at home with Cullen and Brent, but back to work I must go.

We have not settled the daycare situation completely. We are still waiting on a miracle to occur between now and the 16th. Cullen will be at Daddy Daycare until the 16th. Good Luck to all involved...

Cullen has a new rhyme...
"Fe, Fi, Fo. I smell blood and cake."

I am not sure where the violent side of Cullen comes from.

Cullen Says...

Friday morning...
"Mama, I want to go to Africa to see zebras and giraffes. Please!"

This morning while we were still in bed snuggling...
"Mama, I'll break your face."

While watching Go Deigo Go (an interactive T.V. program) I start doing what they say to do...
"Mama, they are on T.V. Don't do that."

Last Official Weekend

This was the last official weekend of summer for me. I go back to school this Thursday for teacher training(s). I have had a blast this summer staying home with Cullen. He does something new everyday, and I was so fortunate to be able to see it all.

Friday, we did somemore shopping for our house. Brent bought me the most awesome picture for our living room. I absolutely fell in love with it. Thank you sweetie. That night we took Poppy and Mimi to dinner for Poppy's graduation.

Saturday morning, we went to pick up my picture in Brent's truck because it was to big to fit in mine. That afternoon we went to Poppy's graduation. Congratulations or as Cullen would say, "Congralation Poppy Bowman!" Then we had a nice dinner at Aunt Tony's and Uncle Roger's. Cullen did very well all day long without a nap.

Today, we went to church, and I went shopping. I don't go shopping very often much less alone. I found it very hard to find clothes reasonably priced and appropriate to wear to teach in. I am at that age. I want cute clothes, but as we all know I am not 19. I need to cover what I have and not show it to everyone. I must do this for many reasons one being that there is more of me than there use to be...

Anyway, we had a very nice weekend. I am not looking forward to school starting. I'm sure that I am not the only one out there. I asked Brent who he thought was going to have a harder time transitioning back to school me or Cullen? Of course, he said ME...

Cutest Kid...

As far as the title goes, I am very biased, and I am his Mom so I can write things like that.

Last night Brent and I were in the kitchen discussing the Famous Amos cookie guy when the bedroom door opened. There stood our Little Angel all sleepy eyed with Shiela, blanket and T-Rex. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was prepared. His Daddy scooped him up and took him to bed.

It is so adorable to see him and snuggle with him when he is sleepy.

Birthday

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Family Afar

This is for all of the family that does not live near Cullen. Well, close enough for you to visit frequently. You are on his mind and in his heart. He talks about you all and remembers everything...

Matthew:
"I don't want to go to this park. It is not Matthew's."
"I want to use Matthew's toothpaste."
"I can't wear those pajamas. They don't have rockets on them."

Brandon:
"I want to listen to ear things and music." (headphones and CD player)

Aunt Melissa:
"I want to sleep at Aunt Melissa's tonight."

Uncle Chris:
"Mom, you can't play like Uncle Chris."

PawPaw E.:
"Please, take me fishing at PawPaw's pond."
"I want to catch fish and put them back."
"I need to check the beaver house."
"We need to put eggs in the place."

GiGi:
"Paw Paw had to drive GiGi out of the hole. It's O.K."

Brad:
"I want to fish with Brad."

Tyler:
"I will swim by the boat with Tyler."
"He took off his shirt and shoes."

Uncle Mike:
"Where is Uncle Mike's cows?"
"I want to see them."

PaPa and Nana Moss:
"Will PaPa and Nana feed the deer for me?"
"I want to go chase the birds from my corn."
"Can I eat the blueberries from PaPa's tree?"

Aunt Brandi:
"She buys me prizes?"
"Aunt Brandi bought me those sandles." (The strap broke, and we still have them.)

Emily and Brittany:
"I want Brittany and Emily to visit me on Monday."
"They can run and swim with me."

Cotton:
"I want to watch Cotton crawl in his car."
"I not touch him."

PawPaw and MawMaw King:
"I go to PawPaw and MawMaw's house."
"The wagon?"

Aunt Tam and Uncle Butch:
"Aunt Tam lets me throw rocks."
"I like to hide in Uncle Butch's closet." (pantry)

MawMaw M. and Aunt Jean:
"I picked the yellow flowers."
"It was plenty of flowers."

Uncle Roger:
"Uncle Roger is so sweet. He gave me a sucker."

Hannah:
"That is my Hannah. I need to see her."

Nana in Texas:
"I want some chapstick like Nana's."

MiMi: Cullen talks about you all the time... He will miss you when you move.
"I need to water MiMi's flowers."
"I swim at MiMi's pool."
"We should go check MiMi's mail."

He says many things about everybody. These are just a few of the things that we discuss on a regular basis. We love everyone and miss you!!!!

New BoBo Remedy..

I had to attend a workshop on Monday and Tuesday of this week, so it was "Daddy Daycare." They had a great time, and Cullen was very good for his Daddy.

During both days I would call to check on them. On Tuesday I called to find out that Cullen had found a new remedy for a bump on the head. Brent and Cullen were playing ball in the house when Cullen bumped his head on the fireplace. He started to cry, and Brent asked him if a gummie would make it better. He said, "Yes, Dad." Brent got the gummie and handed it to him. Cullen took the gummie and put it on the spot he bumped like it was ice or something. Brent said he left it there for a few minutes then said, "All better," and ate it! So, if you are looking for something to stop the pain a Lifesaver Gummie might do the trick...

The Boys are Playing

Cullen and Brent are playing in Cullen's room. I was asked to leave by the two year old. So, I comply.

I hear...
"Thanks Dad for the bean bag. You are so sweet. I'm going to cut you."

I go back in only to be told to leave again by the two year old.

I come to the computer to blog, and Brent walks in carrying Cullen. Brent simply states, "I have cut Cullen in the face. He needs some medicine on it." I ask, "What?" He says, "I cut him with my toe. Do not ask..." That made me laugh, so I did not ask.

I take Cullen to the medicine cabinet and cleaned him up. It is a small cut unlike the other one he got today across his check, or I guess I should say he got it sometime during the night. Anyway, back to today. As I am cleaning Cullen, he says, "Mama, Daddy bit me on the face. It needs medicine." I could not reply with anything other than, "He did not mean to..." When I am done being "Medicine Woman", Cullen jumps up and runs to his Daddy and yells, "It is O.K. I am all better. Let's play!"

I am not sure if I will enter the room of guys, or if I will try to locate a place of solitude for five minutes. If I get to quite everyone starts to wonder where I am... They will locate me!

Two new phrases...

Phrase One: "I can't..."
He uses it all the time. No matter what the situation.
Mama:"Cullen, you need to eat."
"I can't..."

Daddy:"Cullen, pick up your toys."
"I can't..."

Mama:"Be nice to the dogs."
"I can't..."

Daddy:"Lets watch Little Einsteins."
"I can't..."

Phrase Two: "Maybe tomorrow..."
Mama:"We need to go to the store."
"Maybe tomorrow..."

Daddy:"Do you want to go to a new school?"
"Maybe tomorrow..."

Mama:"Lets feed the dogs."
"Maybe tomorrow..."

Mama:"Bathtime."
"Maybe tomorrow..."

He also chimes in things like "not today","I don't feel good" and "good job mom and dad." He is dropping the "dy" from daddy, and I am mom. He is formal these days.

Daycare

Nanny Lissa, I am pleading for you to move near us! We miss you and need you. Well, cullen needs you...


With that being said, we have been in search for another daycare since our most recent move. We are those parents. We don't just pick a daycare and leave our child there. Anyway, I have visited just about every daycare in our area and have been completely horrifid at some. I wouldn't let these people keep my dogs much less my first born. We found one that is suitable near my work and that was where we were going to leave him. Then, Brent found one while looking online, and it seems to be the best. It is further away and of course more expensive, but you can't put a price on your childs safety and well being. We went to look at it yesterday, and it was very good. Cullen stayed in the classroom while we toured the facility. He never wimpered, and when we returned he asked to stay. This is a first since we have been on our daycare search. Most of the time he will not stand on the floor much less socialize with the others. He hugged the teacher bye, and said he would see her later. This is a very good sign and makes me feel comfortable. If I must leave him in a daycare facility then it will be this one. Now, we will be paying for it, but Cullen is worth every penny and so is our peace of mind.

While visiting St. Louis we could not get over the price of daycare. When we got in the truck after touring this facility Brent said, "We can just pretend we live in St. Louis, and we have to pay that much for daycare."

Again, Nanny Lissa, you were the best thing that ever happened to Cullen, and I would love for you to have him until he enters school. The love and attention he got from you was unbelieveable, and we felt totally at peace with you taking care of our Little Man! Thank You and we miss you...

Funnies

1. Cullen wants everyone to know that "STUNKS stink. Be Careful."

2. Since our return from St. Louis, Cullen has been requesting green eggs and ham from lunch. No, we did not eat green eggs and ham while in St. Louis, but we did read the book everynight. I beleive it is one of Matthew's favorites. It is now one of Cullen's. He likes it so much that he is wanting green eggs and ham. This is funny because Cullen does not like eggs green or not "Sam I Am." So, we just have normal colored ham and pretend that green peas are the eggs. He is o.K. with this!

Pictures

Angels...

We didn't do it...

Feed the goat?
Like this!
Oops wrong way!

Look at flickr for more! See side bar...

We're Back

and have been back since Wednesday, July 5th. We have been busy getting upacked from the move and decorating. It is coming together.

We had a terrific time in St. Louis. It was great to visit, let the boys destroy Chris and Melissa's home and see St. Louis. This is how it went:
1. Arrived late Thursday night. Cullen liked flying. He rode in the window seat.
2. Friday morning we rested a little bit and kept Matthew with us. We went for a walk in the neighborhood and waited on the workers to return. At noon everyone started coming home, and it was time for P.F. Chang's for lunch. It was good, but it was not a good time to go. It was naptime for the little ones. Matthew was very good, but Cullen was that child during the entire lunch! Melissa and I took the two year olds home while Chris and Brent stayed to clear up the check. Outings are never the same when you have a child...
3.On, Saturday we went ot the Zoo. It is huge, and we only saw a small portion of it. Again, due to naptime for two individuals. I say two individuals. It is Cullen who needs the nap. If he doesn't get one everyone knows about it. I did age 10 years on this day while we were in the reptile house. Matthew decided to leap the fence which kept the caimen in. It does not hold two year olds out. Chris and Brent went to a baseball game later that evening.
4. Church on Sunday, grocerry store and kids played.
5. Monday we went to the city Museum. It was fun. Kids young and old had a great time. Uncle Chris fit through mazes noone else could.
6. On the 4th Meme and Poppy came to town. We cooked out, went to the mall and kids played. Meme and Poppy watched the kids so we could go to dinner. It was a nice treat! Yes, all three of them...

The kids are great together. Brandon was a real tropper through it all. When there are two, two year olds in the house there is not much time for anything else.

Thanks Chris and Melissa, for letting us come and invade your space! We really enjoyed it!

Haircuts

What does it take to get the haircut you want? Why do hairdressers listen but not hear what you are saying? Why can't they just do what you ask and not try to implement their style on your head? My last words to her were if you are not sure of what I want lets do something else. I don't want it too short. Why couldn't she have just said I'm not sure what you want so bring a picture next or something? It would have made both of our days go alot better. She may get over the look of horror on my face or the words that blurted out of my mouth as I sat and looked at my head, but I have to look at myself on a daily basis. This is going to take me awhile.

I guess you have figured out that I got the haircut from ________? You can fill in the blank. I am not sure exactly what she has done with my hair because it does not look anything like what I said. The back and the front no longer are one. They are different lengths and styles. I look like Cullen trimmed my hair as I slept.

If you saw my last short haircut well consider that long compared to what it is now. There will be no ponytails or updos for this girl for a long time.

Brent has been a sweetheart about the whole ordeal. He has been optimistic and encouraging when I know deep down he wants to vomit....

Anyway, what can I do? I needed to vent. I must suck it up and go on. It is only hair. Hopefully, my hair will grow at a fast pace.

Vacation

We are flying out tomorrow to go on a vacation. Cullen is very excited because he gets to play with his cousins Brandon and Matthew. I can only imagine the trouble these three will find while together.

St. louis here we come. Look out Chris and Melissa. I hope you are ready for us!

More about our trip when I return or maybe from St. Louis you never know!

Loud Voice

"Mama, I don't like your loud voice. Don't use it." This is from my dear, sweet son as I raise my voice to repeat that we do not put our hands in the toilet...

Our Two Year Old

Cullen says...

Cullen is playing on the floor while I am getting ready.

I mumble, "My hair is horrible."

Cullen replies, "Not horrible. Just wild."

Cullen states these things randomly while we are playing outside.

"Cullen runs like a deer."

"Bugs bite. I must go in."

Dinner time...

Mama says," Cullen try your dinner."

Cullen states very nicely, "No, I don't want to, thank you."

Bathroom...

Mama says,"Cullen, someone peed in your pullup."

Cullen says," Yes, someone did."

Before bath...

Cullen says while looking at his bath,"Do not pour water on floor or splash big. Are you listen?" (He is self monitoring.)

T.V.

Daddy asks,"Want to watch baseball with Daddy?"

Cullen answers,"No, ants." (A Bug's Life)

Daddy asks,"What about baseball?"

Cullen states,"I want to watch bugs."

Bedtime...

Mama says,"Kiss Daddy goodnight."

Cullen replies,"O.K.'

Mama says,"Lets go to bed."

Cullen states,"Daddy is going night night. I kissed him goodnight. He tired. Night Night Daddy."

All is quiet and Cullen is suppose to be going to bed.

"Mama, what does a moose say?"

Mama answers,"I am not sure. We will check tomorrow. No talking at bedtime."

Cullen waits for a few moments then says,"Maybe, says MOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE."

A few moments later.

"Mama, get me the hiccups out of Daddy's bathroom. I need them for bed."

Breakfast

Mama asks, "Are you hungry Cullen?"

Cullen states, "Yes, I'll eat hay."

Cullen says and does things all the time that are funny and cute. I wish I could capture all those moments. He is growing so fast...

Sonic

Just about everytime we turn in our new road Cullen says, "We are going to our new house." When he talks about home it is "Our New House."

Today, we pulled into the Sonic near our house to grab lunch and Cullen says, "My new Sonic, yeah!" Not only does Cullen have a new house, but it seems he has a new Sonic.

Stuff

Where does all the stuff come from? Box after box of stuff. You take it from one place to the next...

When do you say that is it? When do you decide that the boxes of stuff are just that, stuff ? When do you stop telling yourself that you may need it one day or that it is special because so-n-so gave it to me? You know the only time it is thought of is when you are moving the box from one location to the next!

Well, our madness did not end with this move. We still have stuff, and most of it is located directly above me in the attic as I type. Maybe I will use it in the next move. Yes, I said next move. This will not be it for this Estes Family...

We Are Back!

Well, it has been a long time...

We have moved and the computer has been down. So, no blog. It should all be taken care of now. We moved so quickly that all we had was electricity and water for a week. I guess that was all we needed. We are back in the land of the living now. I am glad because I don't know if I can watch Shrek 2 again.

About our move...
We are in a house about 20 miles south from where we were. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with a fenced backyard. We love it. We live between single, strange guy and the old, unfriendly couple. I think the couple met Aggie and Nomar before they met us. I'm sure they liked their peace and quiet that use to exist before we moved in. There is no way to keep a two year old and two boxers quiet. I haven't found the solution, yet. Maybe, I could try Benadryl for everyone? Just kidding...
Anyway, we really like our place, but we have decided that we are going to check out all neighbors in the future before settling in.

Look for an email with a new phone number and address.

I'll post more very soon.

Summer

We have been busy so I have been well, slacking in the blog area.

Highlights:

• We went ot Jeffrey's graduation. It was very nice with a get together afterwards. We are proud of you Jeff!
• We stayed with PawPaw and GiGi. We spent the day fishing and enjoying the day. Cullen decided that swimming in PawPaw's pond was not such a bad idea and jumped out of the boat. Yes, he did have a life jacket on and me attached to part of his body before he could hit the water. NO FEAR!
• I finished work last Tuesday. Out for the summer!
• Cullen and I have been going to story time at the library on Thursdays. this week the Walker County EMT's did story time. They let the kids get on the ambulance and try out the equipment. My fearless two year let them hook him up to the heart monitor and oxygen mask. Maybe, he is use to the hospital equipment!
• We took a quick trip to Alabama. Cullen enjoyed it greatly and so did everyone else. Cullen picked all of PaPa's blueberries from the trees and ate all of them. He swam with Brittany and Emily. We were able to visit with everyone. It was nice!
• Tuesday night started our Music and Shakers Class. It is a parents and kids music class. Cullen really liked the music and instruments. He played "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" on the guitar. Yes, he it sounded wonderful. You know how the song goes. You row the boat gently down the stream well, Cullen's boat goes down the street!
• We have been swimming at the Elkin's Lake Pool.
• Poppy got the job in Illinois. Congratulations Poppy. We will miss you both.

That is all now!

Birthday Pictures

BIRTHDAY FUN...

Aggie and Nomar finished the cake!
Look out, here I come!


I'm 2!

The Cake...
Future PRO...

Pictures and More Pictures

Where there is water, you will find Cullen!

Finally...

It has been a long day!

A goat?

Will it bite?

What am I looking at?

I like to play in the laundry basket...

Aunt Joanie

We have been looking around in different neighborhoods and at different builders. We are trying to decide which direction to turn in regards to a house. There are a lot of options out there. We just haven't quite decided yet...

The above is so you will know what we were doing when Cullen found a new Aunt. We were talking with a lady about some houses and she had a sucker for Cullen. Oh, if you know Cullen suckers are the way to be his best friend.

She gave him the sucker and he says,"Thank you, lady." She tells him, "Call me Joanie." He said thank you lady a few more times and then I told him, "Cullen, her name is Ms. Joanie."

We went to a few model homes and looked around while Cullen worked on his sucker. When he was done he went to the lady and said,"Aunt Joanie, sucker?" Well, Cullen got another sucker from his Aunt Joanie. He finished that one, went back to her and patted her sweetly on the arm, "Aunt Joanie, sucker?" I wanted Cullen to eat dinner and sleep so I had to step in. "No more suckers!"

Cullen says, "Aunt Joanie, candy?" Oh, my goodness! Can you believe it? If he can't have a sucker then he will take a piece of candy. Mom had to step in again "No candy!"

We had to leave because Cullen was tormenting his new Aunt Joanie with those big blue eyes, big smile, blonde curls and sweet voice! She would have given him the entire bowl of candy if we would have stayed any longer...

WHERE?

Can you guess where I am?

Give up?

I am at school. Yes, at 5:50 on a Friday afternoon. I am a chaperone for our 6th Grade Dance. It is from 6:00 to7:30. I am happy to give my services for the good of the whole, but it is Friday night...

Congratulations...

Dr. B. Cullen Estes on your new job at

Sam Houston University.

He is a Professor in the Educational Leadership and Counseling Department.

He has already started his duties and is really enjoying the challenge.

Cullen and I are very proud of him!

YEAH BRENT!!!

Check out the university here: http://www.shsu.edu

This Morning...

"Cullen are you ready to go to school?"

"No, to the beach. Get my hat."

http://flickr.com/photos/kitcat/125438372/

We are raising him right...

Happy Mother's Day

I got my Mother's Day present on Saturday. It was a big surprise because I was led to believe that I would be picking out some cologne at the mall on Saturday for my present.

Cullen and Brent came into the the room while I was getting ready to go shopping with a pretty bag. Cullen said, "Here Mommy, I open it." He did, and it was a beautiful pair of Diamond Earrings. They dangle just a little and have three diamonds on each earring. They are exceptional. Now, since they are open of course I would like to put them on, but Cullen did not want to give them up. He pitched a small fit, and then gave them up.
He said, "Here Mama. They are bootyful." He is right.

I had a very good Mother's Day. My guys love me and treated me very well! Thank you...

Car Ride

I met Cullen and Brent yesterdy after work at Home Depot. Cullen rode with me on the way home. This is what we talked about:

Cullen: "My gatorade. I get it."
Me: "Do you have it?"
Cullen: "Yes."
Me: "Good Job."
Cullen: "My special rocks, please."
Me: "Here you go."
Cullen:"Open them."
Me: "Give them to me."
Cullen:"Mommy, open my special rocks."
Me: "Here you go."
Cullen: "I drop my special rock. Get it."
Me: "I can't reach the rock, sweety. You will have to wait."
Cullen: "I know Mama. You are driving in traffic."

Where did that come from?

Weekend Recap

Friday: Cullen and Brent had a guys day. Cullen stayed home with Daddy. Breakfast at the Duck Pond, lunch from Sonic, to the park, much needed nap, go see Nana, and ride Uncle Roger's golf cart. Then when Mom gets home everyone is worn out! Cullen now sings the "Peanut Butter and Jelly" song.

Saturday: We played basketball, grocery shopping because Cullen is eating us out of house and home, nap, swimming in the pool, get a prize for much potty training success (Fruity Pebbles?), blockbuster to look for something to watch, and pick up Subway for dinner.

Sunday: Church (Cullen needs to potty, goes with Mimi, and comes back in yelling, "I peepee potty, YEAH!" Yes, church is in progress.), out to lunch with Nana, nap, church, get Daddy's green sauce, eat, play, and to bed. He sang "BINGO" for us on the way home from the green sauce trip! So sweet...

We are making progress on the potty training.

Not much going on...

Spring Sing

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

"Jesus Loves the Little Children"

Last night, Cullen made his first debut. They had practiced at school, and Cullen knew the first song really well. We waited for the little ones to walk in, and they were so cute. They lined up on the stage. You could see the surprise in their eyes when they saw all the people in the audience. The teachers started the song, and the kids did not follow along. Cullen just stared into the audience until the end. When the audience clapped so did Cullen with a big smile. The teachers started the second song and none of the kids followed along. Cullen did some of the hand motions for this song but no words came out of his little mouth.
They had practiced with no one in the audience, and I guess he had stage fright! He still was as cute as can be! He did a great job!!!!!

A Few Days of Happenings...

1. I'll clear the wolves thing up! Brent was pretending like he was a wolf that was after Cullen. While I was making the bed, they became wolves with flashlights that were after ME! So, I guess Cullen was still playing when he woke up or just remembered that he left his fellow wolf in the bed and didin't know if he would wake up and come after us!

2. Last night after our visit to the Sam Houston Duck Pond we came home. Cullen wanted to go outside, and Mimi took him out. About five minutes later, Mimi ran inside holding Cullen. She was as white as a ghost. What? A snake! I grabbed Cullen, Brent scrambled to get our dogs inside, and Mimi started breathing again. After everyone was safe and accounted for Brent went outside to get the snake. It was a CORAL SNAKE! Highly dangerous. Luckily it was DEAD! We are not sure what killed it. It was either one of Mimi's dogs or the Mama bird that has a nest near the location.
If you are wondering what Cullen did well, he found it, stood still and pointed. Mimi noticed him and went over to see what it was. She then snatched him up and ran. We are trying to convince Cullen that when you see a snake you run to one of us. He says, "Cullen throw things at it." Not good... He is very proud of his Daddy for getting rid of the snake!
We took a picture of the snake and looked it up on the internet because their is a King Snake that is similar to the Coral Snake. It was a Coral Snake! If you ever come across one and you are unsure, here is a little rhyme just for you:
"Red next to yellow kill a fellow. Red next to black venom I lack."


3. Cullen has his first performance tonight at school. It is the Spring Sing-A-Long for the Ones through the Pre-k. His class will be performing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." I will be the parent with the movie camera and the digital camera front and center getting every moment. You know the one who gets everyone else's way...

Wolves...

After Cullen went to the potty and flushed this morning, this is what he said:

Cullen: "Mommy, hold me. I'm Scared!"
Me: "Cullen, why are you scared? There is nothing for you to be scared of!"
Cullen: "There is a wolf in our bed! Hold me!"



I'll explain this story later...

Potty Training

We are attempting to potty train the toddler that we affectionately know as Cullen. Actually, we have been talking about the potty for a while now with Cullen. He has gone on the potty at sparatic times but nothing consistant.
He understands the concept but doesn't show a whole lot of interest. He had much rather do his business in the diaper or pull up and then tell me that he needs to be changed.
Over the course of a few days he has gone to the potty in the mornings and some in the evening. He is also waking up dry. This is a plus! When he does TeeTee in the potty, he gets excited about the flush. When he flushes he says, "Bye, Bye PeePee! Yeah Cullen!"
It will come with time and patience. He has a mind of his own. So when he decides that he wants to use the potty full time, he will! Until then I will diligently ask and attempt to put him on the pot to encourage the process and his Daddy will buy him prizes for actually going! I'm not sure how many more basketballs our house can hold. That seems to be the prize of choice!

This is what is going on at our house! EXCITING!!!

Sheila

Cullen's pillow that he sleeps on at daycare was destroyed by the boxer duo known as Aggie and Nomar. Of course, we did not tell Cullen this because he really liked it. It was his Florida State pillow.

Mimi, Cullen and I went shopping Saturday. Well, we went to Walmart. I told Cullen he should get a new pillow for school. He got excited, so off we went to pick one out. Mimi found some animal pillows one of which was a large, soft frog. That was it! Cullen loved it. "I'll sleep on green frog. Yes, I like green." he said. He held on to it the rest of the time at Walmart and when we put him in his car seat.

On the way home Mimi asked, "What are you going to name your frog?" He sat quietly for a few moments. Mimi said, "How about Freddie the Frog?" No response from Cullen. We thought he didn't want the green frog to have a name.

All of sudden he says, "I name him Sheila. Green Frog named Sheila." We have a new addition to our family.

Him name is Sheila!

Picture of Sheila to come soon!

Fireflies

Don't touch fireflies. They are hot! (from Cullen)

School

This is from the kid that cried everyday, all day the first two weeks of daycare!

On Sunday afternoon, Cullen and I went outside to write with sidewalk chalk and catch bugs. (We had been locked up since Thursday)We had been outside only for a few minutes when Cullen went to the truck and asked to go to school. I explained that no one was at school. He tried very hard to open the locked door and continued to insist that he go to school, now. All this and named each of his friends at school, teachers and one of the directors. I tried to explain to him that it was his days to play with mommy and daddy, and if he felt better he could go back to school tomorrow. He sat on the ground, put his little hand over his mouth and began to cry! Think fast...

Cullen, would you like a popsicle? Yes! All the drama was over. Tears and crying stopped. He hopped up and said, "This way, Mama!"

Junk will distract them everytime...

Fever

Cullen has a fever, again...

HUNGRY

You know you eat at a restaurant a lot when:

1) Your two year old wakes up and asks to eat at "Casa Ole" and can name the foods he eats there.

or

2)When you pull into the shopping center down the street to said restaraunt and your two year old says "Eat at Pappadeauxs, Yeah!"

Armadillo

Well, Monday started like this:

Cullen did not want to go back to school and wanted Easter candy for breakfast. Imagine that! We finally got everything together and headed out the door. Cullen headed to the side of the truck that he gets in on, stops "dead" in his tracks, and says,"What's that?" I looked, so I could answer. I saw the corpse of an armadillo belly up in our driveway. He must have been hit just lightly enough by a vehicle to do some major damage but not enough to kill him instantly. Anyway, I replied,"That is an armadillo. Daddy will take care of him." Cullen obsessed about it all the way to school. "Daddy get ardillo." He even told his teacher.

When we got home it was still there. Brent told Cullen, "The armadillo is sleeping. I will put him in the woods to sleep." Cullen was O.K. with that until we started to leave to go to the park. He wanted the "ardillo" to go with us. Of course, we did not take him. Cullen soon forgot about it and had a good time at the park.

It started getting late. It was hot, and Cullen needed to eat supper and have a bath so we went home. We started up the stairs and Cullen said, "The ardillo is hot. He come in. No sleep outside." I could not believe how worried he was about the armadillo and that he still was thinking about it. I told him to tell his Daddy, and he told him the same thing. Brent replies, "He has a trailer right on the edge of the woods with his mommy and daddy. They have plenty of air condition." Cullen has not mentioned the "ardillo" since.

This is the second armadillo that has been hit in front of our house. The first one was so bad that it was difficult to tell what it was after the accident. So, it did not affect Cullen like this one did. I hope the sight of this creature belly up in our driveway does not traumatize him forever.

You know the armadillo is Texas' official small mammal.check some more facts about Texas here: www.senate.state.tx.us/kids/Matching.htm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy 2nd Birthday to Cullen!

Time passes so quickly. We cannot believe how much you

have grown. You are truly the joy of our life.

We are very blessed!

We love you very much!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

THERAPY...

This email was sent to me by a great friend. I found it very funny! ENJOY...

Ways to Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity at Work.

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"
7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
8. Don't use any punctuation
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."
12. Sing Along At The Opera.
13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.
17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won! I Won!"
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"
19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."
20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......
Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile.
It’s Called ....... therapy.

The Visit

Here are the pictures from the family visiting in February! Here they are feeding the ducks. Cullen loves to feed them crackers and bread. I know that I am way behind and out of order with my blogs! I will get it together soon...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitcat

Cape San Blas

We all had a great time at Cape San Blas. You can tell that Cullen did. He wanted to swim even when it was to cold! Cullen also fed and chased the "Sea Eagles"! There are alot of those in Florida...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitcat/

Sick...

This story starts last Friday, March 31st. We took Cullen in to the doctor for a sore throat and cough. "Oh, he has an upper respiratory infection and if his throat gets worse over the weekend here is a prescription for Omnicef. You can begin giving it to him twice a day. Be sure to give his H-C Tussan for the cough"
Saturday passed without any indications of him getting worse. Sunday began normally church, Pappadeaux, house looking and nap. He woke up and seemed to be fine. He played and didn't seem to be cranky.
It all fell apart when Cullen arose from his deep sleep. He had a fever of 102.8, a terrible cough and refused to eat or drink. "My throat," was the quote of the night. After being up most of the night, I called in and took him back to the doctor. We did start the Omnicef. By the time we could get in to the doctor his fever had spiked to 104.8. My child was feeling lousy and so were we.
Doctor appointment:"It seems that we are treating everything with the antibiotic. If he has strep throat or a bacterial infection the antibiotic will take care of it so I am not going to do any tests. Give him tylenol and then motrin every three hours for the fever. If he hasn't turned the corner by Thursday give me a call." We were good with this because it was Monday and it had just started.
The rest of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and most of Thursday, we were alternating tylenol and motrin every three hours to keep the fever down to 102. By the way, motrin wires Cullen. It is speed for him. So, when the third hour came late into the night it was not fun.
He would not eat anything. We had to beg, force and let him do whatever to get him to swallow liquids. His diet consisted of popsicles, jello, and gatorade, when he would take it for these days. Cullen turned down all of his favorite junk food. We knew there is a problem.
There was a break in the fever on Thursday and he ate some yogurt. Wow, we are getting better or is it a trick. A trick! Within hours fever back up to 102.8 and he doesn't want anybody to even look at him! His cough was so bad that I had to stand up with him and sit up sleeping so he could breath and sleep without coughing. We are back to the tylenol/motrin thing again.
Friday morning, he had a fever, cough and did not want to drink. We called the doctor again. "Bring him in because he could have some secondary illness that is preventing him from getting well." A chest x-ray and some blood work later, Cullen's illnes is viral. He has large ulcers in his mouth and on his tonsils. It is just taking him longer than normal to fight off this viral infection. He does still have the upper respiratory infection, also. The doctor gave us his cell phone number and his home phone number to call if Cullen gets worse over the weekend. This does not happen often.
We did not take Cullen to Dr. Green. We took him to his pedatrician...